


Simple Touches

by CaptainJimothyCarter



Series: Tumblr Prompt Fics [43]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Drabble, F/M, Fluff, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Short & Sweet, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, We Die Like Men, no edit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:07:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27128995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainJimothyCarter/pseuds/CaptainJimothyCarter
Summary: Peggy had a theory and that involved Steve and his seemingly unconscious behavior to be constantly near or touching her in the weeks he's been back.Not that she's one to complain.
Relationships: Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers
Series: Tumblr Prompt Fics [43]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952281
Comments: 7
Kudos: 47





	Simple Touches

Peggy had a theory and when it came to theories, the only thing to do is work them out.

When Steve got up before her alarm went off, she’d listen to him in the bathroom, pause to kiss her temple, and cover her shoulders back up, before getting breakfast ready. By the time her alarm did go off, he would be there with a cup of coffee and a smile on his face. 

While she got ready, he made the bed, fluffed the pillows, put up the few clothes she had laid out while she chose clothes, cleaned up after her. 

Then, he’d kiss her. A soft, gentle kiss to her cheek.

Breakfast would be ready and he’d insist on making her another cup of coffee and himself one, spooning them breakfast. He’d pass her the mug with a gentle touch or kiss, give her a plate with a touch or a kiss. 

Then, it was out the door until lunchtime where Steve would be waiting outside the office, flowers in hand, and a smile on his face.

He’d touch the small of her back and pull her tight, keeping the PDA to a minimum when she was working. 

They’d have a lovely lunch at the diner or a cafe or even a little picnic Steve packed them when the weather was warm enough. 

Then, she’d be home for dinner. Heels off at the door, the hat was thrown in one chair, coat in another, clothes trailing until she could retreat to the bedroom to take the makeup off, of course after pausing to kiss Steve.

He’d follow her, maybe not immediately but eventually, he’d find her and kiss her again. Touch her arm as he passed to put the clothes up, help her change into comfortable clothes before they’d have dinner.

They would start on one side of the table, before somehow,  _ always  _ they ended up sitting on the same side. Often Steve would have poured her a glass of wine, sometimes he’d join her, but 90% of the time he would have some contact on her body.

She couldn’t stay away from him, Peggy noted one Saturday afternoon when Steve mentioned running to the local store to grab an ice cream on the hot summer evening.

“You don’t gotta go, Pegs,” Steve told her for the unkempt time as he pulled his undershirt away from his chest. It was too hot for him to wear anything else, he’d even invested in shorts. “You don’t like the heat.”

“Steve, I told you, I’m fine.” She was already on her feet and dressed in a thin, sundress with flats and her hair piled high off of her neck.

Steve was still, all smiles when she said she’d go, picking up her large sun hat and placing it on her head. His fingers brushed over the nape of her neck, moving in to press a tender kiss to her lips that were sweeter than any dessert.

His fingers brushed over hers when he handed her their sweet treat, held her hand as they walked along the docks and down the beach. Even kissed her while they lounged in the hot sand.

At home, with the sand washed off and relaxing with a book in hand, Steve sat close as possible to her on the couch. Their knees brushed one another as he sat beside her with his own book. Unconsciously, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to his frame despite they were side by side.

That’s how, even though it was blazing hot even with their windows open, the ceiling fan on, that Peggy found herself laying in Steve’s lap. His fingers found a way to her curls, slowly pulling them from the high bun to stroke her silky curls from being untangled. 

“You don’t notice you’re doing it, do you?” Peggy asked after she was three chapters in, her curls were officially free of the bun and Steve was now starting to unconsciously rub at her scalp.

“Hm?” He looked to be in another world, eyes glazed over, finally focusing as he looked down at her with a warm smile. “Do what now?”

“You touch me.” At Steve’s confused look, Peggy gave a light laugh and sat up much to both their disappointment. “No, no, darling, it’s nothing  _ bad.  _ It’s...you touch me. Unconsciously, I’ve noticed. In the morning you kiss me, tuck me back in despite you’ve only just left to use the bathroom or shower. You bring me coffee, you kiss me. You unconsciously touch my arm or shoulder and out in public, you touch my back, especially if a male coworker is near me. And just now you were stroking my hair.” 

Steve’s mouth opened and closed several times, setting the book down so it laid flat on the table. Peggy captured his hands and gave a wide smile that brightened up her eyes, shaking her head. “Darling, it’s not  _ bad.  _ You just...do these things. I thought you were aware of them. Again, they’re not bad. I adore them. I love every little touch. Like-like today...I didn’t  _ have  _ to go with you to the store, but I chose to because suddenly not being with you despite it being blazing hot outside...I couldn’t cope with that idea. And it did result in a fun outing.”

Steve’s mouth turned into his own smile, leaning down to kiss her softly. “It did,” he agreed with a sigh, pressing their foreheads together.

Combing her fingers through his hair, she could see something was wrong. Had she been wrong to point out the obvious? Ever since Steve had gotten back, it was clear how different he was before the war. He was confident, sure of himself, sure a little spacey at times, lost in thought but underneath it all, he was still her Steve. 

She still and would always love him. 

Would he now think over every little action? Would he worry he’s overstepping and suddenly stop? She didn’t know if she could handle that.

“Darling,” she breathed, cupping his jawline with a soft touch. “Talk to me. Did I upset you? I’m sorry-”

A sudden kiss stopped her mid-track, causing  _ her  _ to sigh when he pulled away. “No, no.” His voice was rougher, gravely, like he was holding emotions in. When his eyes opened, she was a little shocked to see tears in them.

“Oh, love what’s wrong?” Her thumb gently brushed a stray tear away, not surprised Steve had pulled her into his lap. 

“Nothing. That’s it. Nothing!” Peggy’s lips pursed and the worst thought came to head - Steve was bored. Bored at home, bored with life. He regrets his decision to come home. And as if he was reading her mind, Steve cupped her jaw and kissed her again. This time with hunger.

“You don’t understand, Pegs. We talked so much of  _ after  _ the war, unsure if either of us will get it. How we’ll go on dates, come home to one another, spend night after night sharing a bed. Cuddling, touching, kissing. Innocent things that we never got because I...I died…” The last word croaked, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. “And now that we’re together, it’s perfect. Love, it’s perfect. It’s real. It’s so real. Nothing is wrong. Because I love you. I  _ have  _ to touch you. I have to prove to myself that this is real. That you are real. That-that-that I am not going to wake up from a dream and find myself in Wakanda or asleep on a jet after a mission and you’re-you’re dead.”

Ah.

Now, she understood. Steve’s desire to prove to himself that this wasn’t some episode dreamed up from the fact of being produced from what he craved the most in life. He needed to prove to himself that she was real. And she got that. She truly did, more than he understood.

While he rested and slept hard and long for the first few weeks after coming home, she would touch him. Listen to him breathe, watch his chest rise and fall, listen to his heartbeat. She’d watch his shadow play on the wall when he showered or in the kitchen to prove to herself he was here too.

The poor thing was so tired when he’d come to her. The world had borne down on him one too many times, his spine crooked and knees buckled from carrying the weight for so long, for having lost and gained and just to lose again so much. He deserved those hours of sleep, where he finally felt safe enough to do so.

“I’ll tell you what, darling,” Peggy sighed, pressing their foreheads together again and holding his hands close to her chest so he could feel her heart beating. “If you ever need to prove to yourself, no matter the time of day or the matter that I am real, that I am  _ here  _ beside you and that you, Steven Grant Rogers are mine, then all you must do is ask and I will always make a point to kiss you.”

Just as if he was years younger, the tips of his ears turned red as Peggy kissed him, his hand sliding in her hair, freeing his hand to pull hers to his chest so she could feel his heart beating too.

**Author's Note:**

> Does this makeup for the hurt/comfort sweater one?


End file.
